Influence of injuries on team playing performance in Rugby League

All injuries have the potential to impact on individual sporting performance and as a result may influence team playing performance. However, the influence of injuries on team playing performance is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of injuries on team playing performance in Rugby League. All injuries sustained by one semi-professional first grade Rugby League team were prospectively studied during the 2001 competitive season. An injury was defined as any pain or disability suffered by a player during a match. Team playing performance for each match was estimated from the metres gained while in possession of the football, points scored, points conceded, the final points differential and the completion rates of attacking sets of tackles. A total of 294 injuries were recorded. The average metres gained for all matches was 1471 (95% confidence interval, CI: 1383 to 1559) m. The team averaged 42 (95% CI: 32 to 51) points in attack each match and conceded an average of 15 (95% CI: 9 to 21) points in defence. The average completion rate for the season was 65.3 (95% CI: 60.6 to 70.0)%. There was no significant association (p>0.05) between the number of injuries sustained and team-playing performance. These findings suggest that injuries have minimal impact on team-playing performance in Rugby League. Further research on a larger sample (including winning and losing teams), is required to provide a detailed analysis of the influence of injuries on team playing performance in Rugby League.